"The winner is Hyotei!"
"Always Victorious, Rikkai Dai!"
"The winner is Hyotei!"
"Always Victorious, Rikkai Dai!"
---
In Tokyo, at North Wind Tennis Park, today's match was the final battle of the Kanto Tournament. Outside the courts, cheers and shouts echoed, their waves impacting the players from other schools who had come to watch. The two teams, Hyotei and Rikkai Dai, stepped onto the court, glaring at each other.
The match hadn't even begun, but the tension on the court was already thick enough to cut with a racket.
"Phew~ As expected of Hyotei, their momentum is incredible."
Kikumaru nodded to himself. They had specifically used their training time today to come watch at North Wind Tennis Park. This was the Kanto Tournament final, with the two strongest teams in the Kanto region facing off.
"Rikkai Dai's momentum is just as strong, subtly imposing their will."
Oishi also felt the cheers radiating from the surroundings. If you were playing on a court like this, just the sheer pressure could crush your opponent! Oishi, for one, felt his own abilities would be limited in such an environment.
"Sanada, you can't escape this time."
Atobe calmly gazed at Sanada, his eyes filled with a hint of mockery.
"The one who should accept their fate is you, Atobe!"
Sanada lifted his head, his gaze locked onto Atobe.
"Now, the Kanto Tournament final between Hyotei Academy and Rikkai Dai Affiliated Middle School is about to begin!"
With the referee's command, the players shook hands and then departed to their respective sides of the court.
The Hyotei team stood before Kentaro Kamiya. Kamiya's eyes were sharp as he spoke calmly, "Currently, Rikkai Dai has a subtle dominance across the nation, but your strength is in no way inferior to theirs."
"Your abilities are well-matched. The slightest mistake will throw the entire match away."
"First up, Oshitari and Mukahi! You're on!"
Kamiya joined his index and middle fingers, gesturing towards the court.
"Now beginning the Doubles 2 match between Hyotei and Rikkai Dai!"
"Hyotei Academy's Yuushi Oshitari and Gakuto Mukahi pair against Rikkai Dai Affiliated Middle School's Renji Yanagi and Yuuji Akiyama pair!"
The broadcast announced the doubles pairings for this match, and the cheers from the cheerleaders outside gradually subsided. Both tennis clubs' members were intently watching this match. Doubles 2 was a crucial match; securing this first victory would ignite the morale of the entire team, so winning this match was absolutely essential.
"As expected, they sent out Renji Yanagi."
Kamikawa watched the two players on the court, a hint of understanding in his eyes. Before deciding the lineup order, Kentaro had suggested putting the doubles pair of Gen and Kawamura in the Doubles 2 slot, as their overall strength was a bit higher.
However, Kamikawa and Atobe had offered different opinions. Kamikawa knew perfectly well that Renji Yanagi could only play in doubles for Rikkai Dai, while Atobe had detected something unusual from Rikkai Dai's match footage. Before the prefectural tournament, Rikkai Dai's lineup had been fixed, but for the Kanto Tournament, their lineup started to diversify, making unlimited adjustments to ensure absolute victory. Such shallow tactical deployments could never escape Atobe's discerning eye.
Ultimately, Kentaro Kamiya listened to Kamikawa and the others, placing Oshitari and Mukahi in the Doubles 2 spot to ensure the match proceeded smoothly. However, Oshitari and Mukahi being in Doubles 2 was also within Rikkai Dai's expectations.
"Just as Renji said, Hyotei put their weakest doubles pair in Doubles 2."
Miura, who wasn't playing, let out a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Hyotei would send their strongest doubles pair in this match, as tactical adjustments and last-minute changes were normal adaptations for a tennis club. But after Miura said this, Sanada and Yukimura's expressions weren't good. They had placed Renji Yanagi in Doubles 2 to ensure absolute victory.
They had initially guessed that Hyotei would send out Gen and Kawamura's doubles pair to catch them off guard. Yukimura had planned for Renji Yanagi and Yuuji Akiyama to play together to overcome Hyotei's strongest doubles pair. However, the outcome was a bit different from his expectations.
"That guy with the glasses... I can't feel his presence."
Mouri wasn't lying down and sleeping in his chair this time; he was sitting up, intently watching Oshitari on the court. He couldn't sense any aura emanating from him; it was as if the person had completely concealed his presence, his aura, making him elusive.
"Interesting. That guy with the glasses is stronger than he was in the practice match," Mouri thought to himself, but he still trusted Renji Yanagi's judgment. After all, he was Rikkai Dai's strategist, and in doubles, he could bring out 150% of his partner's abilities.
"Yuushi, let's stick to our plan."
Mukahi walked toward Oshitari at the baseline, holding a tennis ball. He could feel Oshitari's deep-seated frustration. Even though Oshitari hid it well, his subtle facial changes didn't escape Mukahi's notice.
"Don't worry, Gakuto!"
Oshitari replied coolly, taking the tennis ball from Mukahi's hand. The match had just begun, and his ears caught the thumping of his heart. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"Match start! Hyotei's Oshitari and Mukahi to serve!"
With the referee's command, the right to serve for the first game was announced.
Phew...
Oshitari took a deep breath, and his accelerating heartbeat slowed considerably. He lightly bounced the ball, then looked up, gripped his racket tightly, and firmed his resolve.
Whoosh!
Oshitari bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, extended his arm behind his head, and his elbow moved with his waist, then he sharply swung his racket at the ball overhead.
Swish!
The tennis ball, carrying strong topspin, flew towards Renji Yanagi's half of the court.
"The power of his serve has increased significantly from what I've seen before, and the accuracy has improved quite a bit. Hyotei's Oshitari is indeed someone not to be underestimated."
Renji Yanagi's eyes narrowed. He quickly saw through the nature of the serve and retreated two steps into the right half of the court, creating a suitable hitting zone.
Yuuji Akiyama, standing at the baseline, appeared in front of the tennis ball and hit a beautiful cross-court slice with a side-on stance. Mukahi, at the net, quickly ran up to cover. With a slight touch of his racket on the ball, he skillfully hit a drop shot, defusing the immediate crisis.
The next second, Renji Yanagi appeared at the net, raised his racket, and hit a beautiful volley on the still-falling tennis ball.
"That's excellent net coverage. That guy, Renji Yanagi, is truly a doubles prodigy."
Atobe praised without reservation. He could see the depth of Renji Yanagi's net coverage skills. Without a single word or even a glance, he could easily cover, and his positioning and angles were perfect.
"Your thoughts... have already been seen through by me—"
Oshitari had appeared behind Mukahi at some point. Facing the incoming volley, his gaze fell on the opposite court. He adjusted his angle, and at the moment of impact, he noticed Akiyama standing at the opposite corner from Renji Yanagi. The drive he had originally intended instantly transformed into a lob.
Renji Yanagi squinted, looking up at the lob flying over his head. He didn't move an inch. At this moment, Akiyama, standing behind him, held his racket with both hands and hit a powerful drive.
The target was Mukahi at the net. Suddenly, Mukahi leaped up, his body turning in the air, and with a single-handed swing, he hit the ball to a completely opposite position.
"A point!" Mukahi's heart swelled with joy.
However, Renji Yanagi, who had been directly in front, had appeared at the landing spot at some point. A slight smile played on his lips as he calmly said, "Do you really think I, Renji Yanagi, would have a blind spot at the net?"
As he spoke, Renji Yanagi hit a backhand smash. The ball flew directly under Mukahi without deviation. Oshitari ran a few steps forward, but the ball was too fast, instantly bouncing up and hitting the wall.
"0-15!"
"That last shot, you jumped too high, Gakuto!"
Oshitari's voice suddenly rang out. Mukahi, who had been momentarily distracted, recovered.
"My bad, Yuushi! I got tricked by that guy's movements."
Mukahi was filled with helplessness, apologizing aloud. The moment he performed his Moon Sault, Renji Yanagi had already reacted. Had his movements really been seen through by the opponent?!
This... is this really possible?
"Gakuto, reduce your jumping frequency. Leave the rest to me."
A gentle breeze blew through Oshitari's blue hair. Oshitari's presence seemed to merge with this gentle breeze.
We have to win this match!
Whoosh!
With that thought, Oshitari powerfully hit the tennis ball.
Zing!
The ball carried even heavier topspin, and the serve speed was faster than what they had seen before. It was a perfectly executed topspin serve, and the angle of the ball's bounce after hitting the ground was extremely tricky. Akiyama, standing at the baseline, hit the ball back with a drive before it reached its highest point, aiming for the wide-open right half of the court.
The moment the ball flew past, Akiyama's eyes widened.
"There was no one there just now."
Oshitari's figure suddenly appeared in Akiyama's line of sight. He lowered his racket and hit a beautiful backhand slice down the line, the ball perfectly landing on the right service line.
Thump!
Renji Yanagi moved up to cover, but the ball still exceeded his prediction, deviating by five centimeters. The ball grazed his racket frame and bounced high.
"15-15!"
That... Renji Yanagi also detected something unusual, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Thwack!
"30-15!"
Thwack!
"40-15!"
Thwack!
"Game, Oshitari, Mukahi pair, 1-0!"
"Change sides!"
The spectators outside also sensed something strange. The return shots were indeed well-placed, but they kept feeling like someone was missing from the court. By the time they regained their composure, that person had reappeared on the court.
"Senior, why do I keep feeling like someone was missing from the court just now?"
Shiori Shiba put down her camera and looked up at Inoue beside her.
"Missing someone? Shiba, don't joke around."
Inoue shook his head. He had been focused on the court the whole time; he hadn't noticed anyone missing. Besides, weren't both Hyotei and Rikkai Dai's players on the court during the changeover?
Thwack!
On the court, Mukahi's overhead volley was seized by Renji Yanagi, who hit a brilliant lob. And at that moment, Oshitari's figure appeared in the air again, powerfully smashing the ball.
"When did he—"
Renji Yanagi's brows furrowed. He had no intention of chasing the ball; he had anticipated this shot somewhat. Sure enough, Akiyama at the baseline also rushed forward. The moment the ball bounced after hitting the ground, he returned it with a standard half-volley, sending the ball flying with full force towards Oshitari.
Mukahi dashed forward, made a flying dive, and appeared at the net. Using the momentum of his sprint, he powerfully slammed his racket down, sending the ball flying toward Renji Yanagi's other half of the court.
Akiyama sprinted forward and swung, but he was still a step too late. The ball bounced up and hit the back wall.
"Game, Hyotei's Oshitari, Mukahi pair, 2-0!"
After more than twenty exchanges, Oshitari and Mukahi successfully broke their opponents' serve.
Seeing this, Sanada and Yukimura outside the court couldn't help but frown. To them, these were simple mistakes, errors that shouldn't be happening to Renji Yanagi and Akiyama. These were mistakes so basic they couldn't get any more basic.
"Oshitari... he's got quite a trick up his sleeve!"
Atobe seemed to have caught on to something, a smirk playing on his lips as he spoke.
"He's been using a technique to conceal his presence, blending with the wind. He lets Mukahi handle most of the shots, then stands behind Mukahi and unpredictably returns the ball."
Kamikawa's eyes flickered slightly. Oshitari, after experiencing a crushing defeat, was now displaying his true talent: observing people's intentions and concealing himself. Mastering these two points to the extreme was Oshitari's unique path in tennis.
However, this technique had a clear flaw.
Thwack!
Sure enough, the next second, Renji Yanagi and Akiyama aimed their attacks directly at Oshitari. The moment someone focused on Oshitari and launched an all-out assault, his presence would be amplified without limit.
Clarifying Some Details
"Hey everyone,
It seems I made a few slips with some of the settings. Today, I went back and re-read the New Prince of Tennis manga and re-watched the anime. While the anime doesn't cover all the details, it did mention that Jujiro Oni led an unknown middle school, Okayama Okuchuu, to win the National Tournament during his junior high years.
I checked it twice—it explicitly stated "junior high school," which means Oni secured the National Tournament championship in his third year of middle school.
As for Byodoin Houou, he's described as an elite player who spent a long time studying abroad. So, you can imagine this: after Byodoin led his team to win one or two National Tournament championships in his first or second year of middle school, he then left Japan to train overseas. That's why he didn't participate in the third-year National Tournament. Perhaps for Byodoin, challenging even stronger players was what truly motivated him.
Given that earlier Prince of Tennis fanfics were written before the match against the German team, it's understandable that some settings might clash. If you spot any mistakes, please point them out right away!
This was mentioned at the beginning of New Prince of Tennis Chapter 344 and also in New Prince of Tennis Semifinals, Chapter 12: The Whirlpool's Baptism. I'd been meaning to tell you all about this, and now that it's come up, I've clarified it here.
Therefore, I've made some adjustments to the tennis schools in last year's Top 4. Shishigaku Chuu has been moved to the quarterfinals, and Okayama Okuchuu has taken its spot.